Clan Matches
Lost wars is the inter-faction war game where various teams of players vie for control of the galaxy. It is part table-top style hexmap control game and part mech vs mech deathmach.
For the combat log and information on the 2012 lost wars, look here.
Basic Concept
Each team, known as a faction, is a collection of players who work together under a faction leader. Each faction has a variety of fleets which are made up of ships and control a variety of hexagonal sectors on a large 169 hexagon grid that represents the galaxy. Factions use their fleets to attack and defend sectors. The overall goal is to capture key sectors which allow one to conquer the galactic core and win the game.
Turn Order
The Lost Wars are broken into a series of turns. Each turn takes one week to complete ending on sunday night. The turns are broken into phases. These phases are: Logistics Phase, Strategic Phase, Tactical Phase.
Logistics Phase
Logistics phase generally starts monday morning and continues until wednesday. It is composed of the following steps:
Collect Revenue
Each sector a faction controls earns them RP. At the start of the logistics phase, this RP is granted to the each faction. This is generally automatically calculated by the Game Masters and posted on the forum for the relevant faction.
Pay Upkeep
Each faction immediately after recieving Revenue must pay upkeep equal to the one tenth of all their fleet's values. If they can not afford upkeep, they must begin scrapping ships at their full value to get enough money to pay it starting with their most expensive ship and working down. A faction's last SCC is not subject to scrapping in this manner. The first of play does not subject a faction to upkeep. This is generally automatically calculated by the Game Masters and posted on the forum for the relevant faction.
Merge Fleets
After paying upkeep factions may begin merging any fleets or ships together to make larger fleets. Doing so costs one fifth of the value of the new fleet.
Purchase Units
After merging fleets a faction may purchase new ships which will become future fleets. Since this comes AFTER the merging, this means it takes two full turns to make a fully effective fleet since the faction will not be able to merge these units until the next turn. Each unit grants an amount of DP equal to it's cost, with the exclusion of the SCC which allows a fleet to attack. One DP worth of fleet allows 1 loadpoint worth of mech to be on the field. Therefore, you would need 28 DP to field one legionnaire.
The list of ships and cost are as follows:
| Name | Price |
| Battleship | 50 |
| Strategic Command Carrier | 200 |
MercNet
At this point a faction may attempt to start courting a mercenary. The cost of a mercenary or the payment details are not standardized. However, a mercenary needs to spend RP equal to the loadpoint cost of their mech in order to play, so expect a mercenary to want at least that much. While initial costs may be determined now, the mercenary or faction may renegociate costs at a later time. Normally a mercenary is paid after the mission. Up-front costs may be given, however if the mercenary fails to show, the faction is short that fee with nothing to show for it. A faction may offer a higher pay for good performance.
Strategic Phase
Strategic phase is the portion of the turn during which fleets are moved and attacks are declared. Strategic phase is declared immediately after one declares Logistics. They are both due by wednesday at midnight:
Fleet Movements
Each faction moves any fleets they wish to within their own and allied space. A fleet without a SCC may move one sector. A fleet with a SCC may move two sectors during this time. All movement is submitted via Note Card to the GMs.
Attack
Fleets with SCCs may issue their attacks at this time. They may only attack adjacent sectors. An attack against an unclaimed sector is usually an automatic success, though there's a chance of native resistance. If multiple attacks are issued on the same sector they are handled one at a time in the order the Note Card declaring them was recieved. DP depleted in an attack do not refresh until next turn.
Example: Sector 5 is unclaimed. High Hawks issue an attack on sector 5 to claim it, the Pale Panthers also issue an attack. A third faction, the Brash Badgers also attacks. The High Hawks gain control of the unclaimed sector. Immediately afterwards they have to fight defense against the Pale Panthers. Whoever wins must now defend against the Brash Badgers. Since DP was used in the initial fight, the defending side on the final fight must do battle with limited resources.
Enviromental Recon
Enviromental recon is rolled for each sector there's a conflict in if it hasn't been rolled yet. Everytime it's rolled it remains in place and does not change.
Submit Roster
For each battle a faction is going to participate in they must submit a list of mech pilots participating and the mech and the equipment on that mech via note card to a gm. The total loadpoints of all the mechs combined (before perks) may not exceed the DP of the field used for the defense or attack. One understudy may be declared in case someone does not show for the actual conflict. If a mercenary has been hired by the faction, they are included in this roster but do not take DP to field, if an allied fleet is in the sector they may assist, they submit their own roster. The combined mercenaries and allied pilots may not exceed six for either side of the conflict.
Declare Alliances
Any alliances made may be declared at this point. Allied factions may freely move through each other's sectors, and they may pool resources for a combined defense.
Tactical Phase
Despite the name, tactical phase is more of a frantic battle fought in the field using the MCM combat system rather then actual tactical movement. It runs its course Saturday and Sunday evening after 6pm SLT. It is composed of the following steps:
Muster
Both sides of the conflict muster their submitted roster of pilots in the standby area.
Verify Roster
The GM looks over the roster and verifies it matches the pilots present and the mechs loadouts match.
Determine Arena
The GM rolls a die to randomly determine the site of the conflict.
Verify Intel
The GM rolls a die, there's a 5% chance the tides of battle change. If that happens the tides of battle are rerolled. If the new tides of battle render a pilot's weaponry useless, the pilot may change one piece of gear.
Combat Resolved
Both sides get in the field and fight. Last side standing wins.
Spoils of War
Winning side gets a roll on the table-o-loot. Various fun bonuses are to be had. Control of the sector is turned over to the winning side. If the losing side was the defending side, any fleets in that sector are destroyed and their value is refunded to that faction. If the attackers lose, there's a 15% chance their SCC is destroyed. A faction's last SCC is not subject to destruction through this means.
Mercenary Play
Unaffiliated players may play as a mercenary. This allows them to get involved in the conflicts without forming any hard alliances. A mercenary starts with 25 RP. Whenever they fight, they spend RP equal to the loadpoint total of their mech before perks. So a legionnaire costs 28 RP to use in the field. Usually a faction pays a mercenary after the completion of a mission, so they will likely not be able to field anything big off the bat unless they negociate a very generous contract with a rather large upfront pay. That, however, is not likely.
A mercenary may not fight for the same faction 6 times in a row during the same turn. Nor may they assist a faction for more then two turns in a row.
Any turn a mercenary does not fight they lose 5 RP due to vacation costs. if the mercenary at least attempts to get a contract they do not have to pay vacation costs.
Glossary
Core
The object of The Lost Wars is to control the Core. The Core is a sector which is in the center of the galactic map. To attack the core, a faction must control a sector adjacent to it, and they must control at least one key sector. Also, all key sectors must be controlled by a faction before the core may be assaulted. The Core is guarded by a guardian that must be defeated in order to win the game.
Drop Points
A fleet grants Drop Points, or DP equal to its RP value minus any SCC it may have. 1 drop point allows a faction to field 1 loadpoint worth of mech. This is the value listed on the MCM website for a mech under "cost". This means a legionnaire, which has 28 loadpoints, costs 28 DP to field.
Fleet
A fleet is a collection of ships purchased through resource points. Fleets grant an amount of drop points equal to the value of the ships that make up the fleet, with the exception of the SCC. A fleet without a SCC may be used for defense only. A fleet with a SCC may be used to attack and may move two sectors through friendly sectors per turn while regular fleets are limited to one sector per turn. Any fleets in a captured sector are dissolved, and their value refunded to the faction that owned them.
Faction
A faction is a collection of players acting as a team in MCM. Factions may fight each other or forge alliances in their quest to control the galactic core. Each faction is headed by a leader who submits the actions the faction takes to a Game Master The first faction to control the core wins. A faction begins play with 50 RP worth of fleets with an SCC and one randomly determined sector.
Galactic Map
The galactic map is a collection of 169 sectors including several key sectors and the core in the center.
Game Master
A Game Master or GM is an official who moderates the procedings of the Lost Wars and handles the dice rolls and looks up things from the various tables to decide precisely what is going to happen.
Key Sector
A key sector is a sector in the galactic map that is marked with a grey token. All key sectors must be controlled before anyone may attack the core. Each Key Sector is guarded by a guardian that must be defeated to conquer the sector. A key sector allows a faction to field two mechs in the battle for the core.
Mercenary
A mercenary is a player who is unaffiliated to any faction. They may be hired out freely by any faction willing to spend the RP to hire the merc to assist in attempts to conquer a sector. Mercenaries do not cost the faction they are fighting for DP to field. Instead a mercenary spends their personal RP as DP to field their mech. This allows a faction to field more mechs and more heavier mechs then they'd normally be able to with the fleet they are using for the defense or attack.
Phase
A phase is a portion of a turn that takes up to several days to complete depending on the type of phase.
Reserve
Droppoints left over from when you were building your Roster. These may be used to allow pilots to re-enter the battlefield after defeated.
Resource Points
Resource points, or RP, are a unit of buying power in the Lost wars. Controlling sectors grants them, as well as performing jobs as a mercenary. RP are used to buy fleets and pay for upkeep with them. Mercenaries use RP instead of drop points to field a mech.
Sector
A sector is a hexagonal unit that makes up the galactic map. Each sector grants the controlling faction variable amount of resource points. There are 169 sectors in the game.
Strategic Command Carrier
A Strategic Command Carrier or SCC is a specialized ship that grants no DP to the fleet its assigned to. Instead, it allows the fleet to attack unclaimed or enemy squares and move more rapidly through friendly squares. The amount of times a faction may attack in any turn is limited to the amount of SCCs in its possession.
Turn
A turn takes one week and over the course of that time it takes three phases: Logistics Phase, Strategic Phase, Tactical Phase. During this time upkeep is paid, fleets are moved, battles are fought.
